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List of birds of the Northern Mariana Islands facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Northern Mariana Islands are home to many amazing birds! This list tells you about all 180 different kinds of birds that have been seen there.

Scientists group birds to understand them better. This list follows a system called The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. It helps keep track of their names and families.

Some birds on this list are special. We use tags to show why:

  • (A) Accidental - These birds don't usually live in the Northern Mariana Islands. They just visit by accident, maybe blown off course.
  • (I) Introduced - Humans brought these birds to the islands, either on purpose or by mistake. They weren't originally from there.
  • (E) Endemic - These birds are super special! They live ONLY in the Northern Mariana Islands and nowhere else in the world.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This family includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are great swimmers! They have webbed feet, flat bills, and oily feathers that keep water off.

Megapodes

Order: Galliformes   Family: Megapodiidae

Megapodes are chunky, chicken-like birds. They have small heads and big feet. Most live in jungles and are brown or black.

  • Micronesian scrubfowl, Megapodius laperouse

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

This family includes birds that live on the ground. They are usually plump with broad, short wings.

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are birds with stout bodies, short necks, and thin bills.

Cuckoos

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

This family includes cuckoos. They have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Some cuckoos are "brood parasites," meaning they lay their eggs in other birds' nests!

  • Long-tailed koel, Urodynamis taitensis (A)
  • Oriental cuckoo, Cuculus optatus (A)

Swifts

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs and usually only perch on vertical surfaces. Many have long, swept-back wings.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

This family includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They often live in thick plants near water. They are usually shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes for walking on soft ground.

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts. They are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and bills that curve upwards. Stilts have very long legs and straight, thin bills.

Plovers and Lapwings

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies and short, thick necks. They live in open areas, often near water.

Jacanas

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Jacanidae

Jacanas are tropical wading birds. They have huge feet and claws! This helps them walk on floating plants in shallow lakes.

Sandpipers and Allies

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large family of shorebirds, including sandpipers, curlews, and godwits. Most eat small bugs from mud or soil. Different bill and leg lengths let many species feed in the same area without fighting for food.

Pratincoles and Coursers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Glareolidae

This family includes pratincoles and coursers. Pratincoles have short legs, long pointed wings, and forked tails. Coursers have long legs and bills that curve downwards.

Skuas and Jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

Skuas and jaegers are medium to large birds, usually gray or brown. They nest on the ground and fly long distances.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

This family includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are usually gray or white with black marks. They have strong bills and webbed feet. Terns are often gray or white with black heads. Most terns dive for fish.

Tropicbirds

Order: Phaethontiformes   Family: Phaethontidae

Tropicbirds are thin white birds found in tropical oceans. They have very long central tail feathers and black marks on their heads and wings.

Albatrosses

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Diomedeidae

Albatrosses are large seabirds found in the Pacific Ocean. The biggest ones are among the largest flying birds in the world!

Storm-Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Oceanitidae

Storm-petrels are small seabirds, related to petrels. They eat tiny sea creatures and small fish from the water's surface while hovering. Their flight can look like a bat's.

Shearwaters and Petrels

Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae

This group includes medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together and a long outer wing feather.

Frigatebirds

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds found over tropical oceans. They are mostly black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have colorful throat pouches that they can inflate! They are amazing flyers and can stay in the air for over a week.

Boobies and Gannets

Order: Suliformes   Family: Sulidae

This family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium to large seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish.

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

This family includes cormorants and shags. They are medium to large seabirds that eat fish. Most are dark-colored, but some are black and white or even colorful.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

This family has bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns are usually shorter-necked. These birds fly with their necks pulled back.

Osprey

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The Osprey family has only one species: the osprey! This medium-large raptor is a specialist fish-eater found all over the world.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, and kites. These birds of prey have strong hooked beaks for tearing meat, powerful legs, sharp talons, and excellent eyesight.

  • Eastern marsh-harrier, Circus spilonotus (A)
  • Chinese Sparrowhawk, Accipiter soloensis
  • Black kite, Milvus migrans
  • Common buzzard, Buteo buteo
  • Eastern buzzard, Buteo japonicus (A)

Owls

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are mostly solitary birds of prey that hunt at night. They have large eyes that face forward, good hearing, and a hawk-like beak.

Hoopoes

Order: Bucerotiformes   Family: Upupidae

Hoopoes are colorful birds with black, white, and orangey-pink feathers. They have a large crest on their head that they can raise.

  • Eurasian hoopoe, Upupa epops

Kingfishers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Rollers

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Coraciidae

Rollers look like crows in size but are related to kingfishers. They are very colorful, mostly blue and brown.

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons. They are birds of prey that kill with their beaks, not their talons, which is different from hawks and eagles.

Honeyeaters

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Meliphagidae

Honeyeaters are a large family of small to medium-sized birds. They mostly eat nectar from flowers and look similar to other nectar-feeding birds.

Cuckooshrikes

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Campephagidae

Cuckooshrikes are small to medium-sized birds. They are usually grayish with white and black, but some are brightly colored.

Fantails

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Rhipiduridae

Fantails are small birds that eat insects. They are very good at catching insects in the air.

Drongos

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Dicruridae

Drongos are mostly black or dark gray, sometimes with shiny colors. They have long, forked tails. They catch insects in flight or from the ground.

Monarch Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Monarchidae

Monarch flycatchers are small to medium-sized birds that eat insects. They hunt by catching insects in the air.

  • Tinian monarch, Monarcha takatsukasae (E)

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, and jays. Corvids are larger than average songbirds, and some are very smart!

Reed Warblers and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Acrocephalidae

Members of this family are usually quite large for "warblers." Most are plain olive-brown with yellow or beige underneath. They live in open woodlands or tall grass.

  • Nightingale reed warbler, Acrocephalus luscinia
  • Saipan reed warbler, Acrocephalus hiwae (E)
  • Aguiguan reed warbler, Acrocephalus nijoi (E)
  • Pagan reed warbler, Acrocephalus yamashinae (E)

Swallows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

This family is built for catching food in the air. Swallows have slender bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are made for perching, not walking.

White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Zosteropidae

White-eyes are small birds, usually greenish-olive. Many species have a white ring around each eye, which is how they get their name!

Starlings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized songbirds. They fly strongly and often gather in groups. They like open areas and eat insects and fruit. Their feathers are usually dark and shiny.

Thrushes and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of songbirds, mostly found in the Old World. They are plump, soft-feathered, and eat insects or sometimes everything. Many have beautiful songs.

  • Dusky thrush, Turdus eunomus (A)

Old World Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large group of small songbirds. They mostly live in trees and eat insects. These birds look very different from each other.

  • Gray-streaked flycatcher, Muscicapa griseisticta (A)

Waxbills and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Estrildidae

Estrildid finches are small songbirds from tropical parts of the Old World. They like to be in groups and eat seeds. They have short, thick, pointed bills.

Old World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small songbirds. They are usually small, plump, brown or gray birds with short tails and strong beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but also small insects.

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails and pipits. They are slender, small songbirds with medium to long tails. They eat insects from open ground.

See also

  • List of birds
  • Lists of birds by region
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List of birds of the Northern Mariana Islands Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.